(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved coupling assembly for use in adjustably mounting a conduit through a corrugated deck. In particular, the present invention relates to a coupling assembly that enables fluid carrying pipes to be adjustably mounted through a corrugated deck. The coupling is comprised of a sleeve having a mounting flange secured to the deck. A fluid carrying conduit is then mounted inside the sleeve. The sleeve enables the contact position between the outside sidewall of the conduit and the inside sidewall of the sleeve to be adjustable along the length of the conduit.
To mount the coupling on the deck, a hole is first drilled through the corrugated deck and the flange portion of the sleeve is secured to at least two spaced apart ridge portions of the corrugated deck by screws, bolts or other suitable means so that the sleeve is concentric with the deck hole. In this position, the plane of the flange portion of the sleeve is parallel with the apices of the ridge portions of the corrugated deck. The conduit is then mounted inside the sleeve so that the conduit extends through the deck hole and beyond the opposed ends of the sleeve. Concrete forming a partition means can then be poured on the deck to form the floor and to embed the coupling in the floor. Fluid carrying pipes can also be connected to the opposed ends of the conduit to provide for moving fluids between the floor. The corrugated deck can also serve as a form for a wall as the partition means, or the floor can be sloped. In this case, the upper end of the conduit can be provided with a drain head for removing fluids from the floor.
(2) Prior Art
Couplings embedded in partitions, such as concrete walls and floors are well known. The couplings generally have a cylindrical sleeve that is mounted to a form for the wall or floor. After the partition is poured, the form can be removed or it can remain in place. The sleeve then provides an opening through the partition and serves for mounting fluid carrying pipes through the wall or floor.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,598 describes a coupling for plastic fluid carrying pipes that is embedded in a concrete floor. The coupling is comprised of a tubular sleeve portion that is provided with a flange at one end for connecting the coupling to a form for the floor. When the floor is poured, the sleeve is embedded in the concrete to provide an opening through the floor. The sleeve is provided with an inner annular rim that has spaced apart parallel shoulders, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the sleeve. The shoulders serve to support fluid carrying pipes extending from the coupling on either side of the partition. This coupling is particularly adapted to be connected to a planar surface as the form for the concrete floor and the inner rim prevents the fluid pipes mounted inside the sleeve from being adjustable along the length of the pipes.
In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,170, an improved coupling for plastic, fluid carrying pipes that is embedded in a concrete partition is described. The coupling is provided with a flange at one end for connecting the coupling to a form for the concrete partition. The coupling also has multiple concentric rings on an outside wall of a sleeve portion. This helps prevent leakage between the outside wall of the coupling and the concrete partition. The sleeve is provided with an inner annular rim that serves to mount fluid carrying pipes on either side of the partition. This coupling is particularly adapted to be connected to a planar surface as the form for the concrete partition. Also, the inner rim prevents the fluid pipes mounted inside the sleeve from being adjustable along the length of the pipes.
My U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,583,565; 4,638,829; 4,724,858; 4,953,235, describe firestop fittings particularly adapted to prevent the spread of smoke and fire between floors in a multi-story building by plugging off any potential fire path through a vertical pipe mounted between the floors. These patents describe an assembly where a non-flammable plug is released by heat less than required for heat destruction of a plastic coupling mounted in a concrete floor. Upon being released, the plug moves into and seals in an iron fitting mounted inside of the plastic coupling to serve as a non-flammable barrier through the iron fitting. This retards the spread of fire through the plastic coupling by depriving the inside of the coupling of oxygen.
My U.S. application Ser. No. 07/692,669 filed Apr. 29, 1991, describes a similar firestop fitting having a moveable plug for plugging off a vertical pipe mounted between fire rated floor members. My U.S. application Ser. No. 07/701,057 filed May 16, 1991, describes a firestop fitting having a moveable plug for plugging off a horizontal pipe mounted between vertical, fire rated wall members. These inventions are particularly adapted to prevent the spread of smoke and fire through the pipe by plugging off the inside of the pipe.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,235 describes a trap fitting assembly that uses a flammable coupling vertically mounted through a concrete floor. A non-flammable sleeve is mounted inside the coupling and extends below the coupling for connection to a non-flammable J-pipe. The J-pipe contains water at a level sufficient to prevent smoke and fire from spreading through the floor through the flammable coupling. The sleeve prevents fire from spreading through the trap fitting by depriving the inside of the coupling of the necessary oxygen needed to sustain the spread of fire through the coupling. This invention is preferably adapted for a floor drain outlet or a tub.
My U.S. application Ser. No. 07/700,406 filed May 15, 1991, describes a trap fitting assembly for mounting in a flammable floor to prevent the spread of smoke and fire through the floor and a lower ceiling. The fitting assembly is comprised of a flammable connection mounted inside of a non-flammable threaded nipple that is mounted in an opening in a support means supported in the floor. A non-flammable J-pipe threads onto a lower extension of the nipple and contains water at a level sufficient to prevent smoke and fire from spreading through the fitting assembly. This invention is preferably adapted for mounting in a tub box as the support means and the connection is preferably a T-connection for draining a tub through an overflow pipe and a drain pipe connected to a tub drain.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,076,309 describes a firestop stub-out assembly, which includes a non-flammable insert having an annular flange at one end. The insert is mounted inside of a flammable, plastic sleeve and locked in place by a plastic coupling that mounts over and around the flange portion of the insert. This invention is adapted to be mounted through a fire rated wall member, to provide a means for coupling a water operated fixture mounted in a room and to fluid carrying conduits mounted between spaced apart fire rated wall members.
What is needed is a coupling assembly that provides for adjustably mounting a fluid conduit inside the sleeve portion of the assembly so that the contact position between the conduit and the sleeve is adjustable along the length of the conduit. This is useful in those situations where the conduit has already been mounted in an existing building construction or where the conduit is needed to be adjustable with respect to the sleeve.
It is a further point of the present invention to provide a means for quickly and easily mounting the sleeve to a support such as a corrugated deck for mounting fluid carrying pipes through the deck. Until the present invention, the most accepted method has been to first cut an opening in the corrugated deck and then weld an oversized steel pipe to the deck, around the opening. A conduit section mounted inside the steel pipe and through the opening in the deck is then welded to the steel pipe. Fluid carrying pipes can be connected to the opposite ends of the conduit section for moving fluids through the corrugated deck.
This prior art method requires that the deck be made of a metal material, and that the oversized pipe be made of a weldable, metal material. The coupling assembly of the present invention is able to be mounted to corrugated decks that are made of both metal materials and non-metal materials. The flange portion of the sleeve provides for bolting, screwing, gluing or similarly securing the coupling to the corrugated deck so that a conduit portion of the coupling extends through an opening in the deck. Fluid carrying pipes can then be connected to the coupling assembly on either side of the deck, or the deck can first serve as a support for pouring a concrete partition before the fluid carrying pipes are connected to the coupling assembly.